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The families get surprised
The surprises just seem to come to the denizens of Beacon Hill. Antonio Balducci moves to town from Philadelphia and, of all things, the self-admitted Lothario falls deeply in love with attorney Madeleine Jacobson! On Madeleine's end, she discovers her now-widowered father, Daniel Jacobson, a quirky Internet reporter nicknamed D-Slash, moves to town to shake up her life! But the biggest surprise of all is the entrance of one into the Harper family, and the shocking loss of a beloved patriarch! Scene One A restaurant on Charles Street, the main shopping drag along Beacon Hill. Sean Balducci is sitting at the table, waiting for his potential boyfriend, Kevin Bradley. However, he gets a huge surprise! A young man who looks like he stepped off of GQ, while his sister stands out with her blue hair! Sean is thrilled! SEAN: Ohmigod! Maureen! Antonio! (The two are revealed to be Sean's siblings, Maureen and Antonio Balducci!) MAUREEN: Sean! Let me look at you! ANTONIO: Bro! You look fantastic! Boston agrees with you! SEAN: But not the baked beans! Grandmother will not cook them. MAUREEN: Who can blame her? (laughs) ANTONIO: May we join you? SEAN: Of course, you can. What brings you all here to Boston? Does Mom know you are making a visit? MAUREEN: We're moving to Boston! (Needless to say, Sean is floored) SEAN: When? MAUREEN: We've already moved here. I live on Brimmer Street here in Beacon Hill. SEAN: And you, Antonio? ANTONIO: I live not that far from Grandmother and Mom. I also live on Louisburg Square. SEAN: Currently, I live with Mom and Grandmother, but I am looking to move in with my boyfriend! (This stuns the two) MAUREEN: You met someone?! That is fantastic! ANTONIO: Wow! Who is he? SEAN (shyly): His name is Kevin. We met at a gym I have a membership at. MAUREEN: Have Mom and Grandma met him? SEAN: Yeah, in fact, when we first met, I insisted he meet them first. ANTONIO: For you being gay, you're more traditionalist than people tend to see. SEAN: The old-fashioned romantic. MAUREEN: Yeah, you definitely are. SEAN: Anyway, Antonio, how about you? What brings you to town? ANTONIO: A woman. SEAN: Anyone I would know? ANTONIO: A woman named Madeleine. SEAN: Wait a minute, you mean Madeleine Jacobson? The attorney? ANTONIO: Yep. Her. MAUREEN: Oh boy, what does Mom think of it? ANTONIO: I don't care what Mom thinks. SEAN: Oh oh, you two are at one another's throats again? ANTONIO: Yeah, which is why I moved into my own place. MAUREEN: Don't blame you there. (Along comes Kevin.) KEVIN: Hey Sean! SEAN: Hi, sorry about the added guests. KEVIN: Who are they? SEAN: Kevin Bradley, this is my sister, Maureen Balducci, she's attending Radcliffe. MAUREEN: Nice to meet you, Kevin. SEAN: And this is my bro, Antonio. ANTONIO: Nice to meet you, treat my brother right, ok? KEVIN: I will. (The four sit down to a great lunch) Scene Two Madeleine Jacobson's law office. An older man with lots of wild streaks in his hair is waiting. He sees Madeleine as she is bringing some legal briefs for a trial she is involved in. She looks in astonishment upon seeing her father. MADELEINE: Dad?! Dad, what are you doing here? DANIEL: I know I should have called, but I had to see you. MADELEINE: What brings you to Boston? DANIEL: I got a job here. Right now, I am having my things packed up to move to Boston from Albany. MADELEINE: Why? DANIEL: Ever since your mom died, I felt like I was ratting around alone in that apartment of mine, and I feel that I want to be around you a bit more. MADELEINE: What are you planning to do for your job, Dad? DANIEL: I am now an Internet reporter. I go by the name of D-Slash. MADELEINE (smiling): D-Slash? Well, I will say it fits! DANIEL: It does fit your old man, doesn't it? MADELEINE: Yeah, it does! (Daniel hugs his daughter) Scene Three Aaron Harper's home. Marta is busy taking care of some flowers outside of the home. Aaron agreed to take care of his niece, Maggie, while Hannah, Maggie's mother, was going to apply at a modeling agency, on the advice of her aunt Samantha. A young man, who is looking through the area, trying to find a house comes up. YOUNG MAN: I am looking for an Aaron Harper please. MARTA: May I ask who this is? YOUNG MAN: My name is David MacQuarie. MARTA: Just a moment please. (Out comes Aaron with Maggie) AARON: Well, what can I do.....? Oh my GOD! MARTA: Who IS this?! AARON: As odd as it is to believe, this is my SON! MARTA: What? AARON: It was many years before I met you, Marta. I was at a business seminar in Brisbane, Australia. I met this woman, Dawn Macquarie was her name. She and I went out for the duration of my time there. It was before I ever met you. MARTA: You had no clue that he was your son? AARON: No, I had none. Dawn married some years later, and she had the man she married raise him. What happened to your mom? DAVID: Mom passed away some months ago, the man who married her remarried and the woman he remarried had children of her own. When she came along, I was dispatched. But by then, I was in school. I was at a boarding school in Sydney, and was doing well. I did some research into my geneology, and I saw your name. I pieced it together. MARTA: Wow, what a story. Did your stepfather want you back? DAVID: No, he never spoke to me after he remarried. To his mind, I was thrown over and I was a reminder of his first wife. AARON: That is terrible. Where are you staying? DAVID: I booked a room at the Copley Plaza Hotel. I've been there the last few days. AARON: I will pay your room rate, and I want you to move in with Marta and I. MARTA (immediately agreeing): Yes, you should not be staying in a hotel when you have family here. DAVID: But you don't even know me, Mrs. Harper. MARTA: Don't worry about it. We will get to know you, David. You had nobody, especially after your stepfather threw you over, and now you do. Our family does for family. That is the way we are. AARON: I always wrote you, David, I don't know why your mother never gave you the letters. DAVID: She finally did, before she died. AARON: That is good. You know I always loved you. Your mom sent me your football photos. DAVID: She did? AARON: Yes, she did. (Along comes Dylan, Adam and his kids. Aaron motions his nephew and his family over.) DYLAN: Hello Uncle Aaron, Aunt Marta. What is going on? AARON: I want you to meet someone. ADAM: Ok. DEREK: Unca Aaron, he looks blond like me! DAVID: Well, aren't you something, kiddo. (Everyone laughs, even Derek) AARON: Dyl, Adam, this is my son. David Macquarie. DYLAN: You're my cousin? DAVID: Yep. Your uncle is my dad. He and my mother were never married, but he is still my dad. ADAM: What a story. ASHLEY: He does have the same blond hair and eyes we do. MARTA: That he does, darling, but he is all grown up. ADAM (laughing): I am Adam Harper, Dylan's husband; and these two are our kids, Derek and Ashley. DEREK (shyly): Hi there. ASHLEY (more assertively): Hiya! DAVID: Twins? AARON: Yep, they are. DYLAN: Very different, but we love them. AARON: Are you all busy tonight? ADAM: Not that we are aware of. Why? MARTA: I was thinking of us going out to dinner. DYLAN: Aren't you watching Maggie? AARON: Yeah, we are, but I talked with Aunt Victoria, earlier. She said she would watch the kids while we are out. ADAM: I see no problems with that. DYLAN: Me neither, but we also have that appointment with Derek at the house. He and Anngelique are coming over to discuss the court case. AARON: Have them come along. Since this case does affect the family as a whole. ADAM: Where is Hannah anyway? DYLAN: She had an interview with a modeling agency. Aunt Samantha set it up for her. ADAM: That's right, I forgot about that. MARTA: Any suggestions to where we can eat? AARON: You talked about an Vegan restaurant over in Cambridge. MARTA: I may be vegan, honey, but I want to eat some meat, can you imagine it? DYLAN: Aunt Marta! MARTA: It's all right, honey. I have a hankering for a steak, it's one of those weeks. DAVID: Sounds good to me! (The group bonds, as Derek, unusually for him, gives his new cousin a hug. David hugs him back.) Scene Four Michael and Wendy's townhouse, three hours later. It is about 8 PM. Michael is outside and checking over something in the backyard. All of a sudden, he is stricken with a chest pain! Wendy is running out, Dylan and Adam, who are visiting, run back to see what happened. Adam calls 911, while Dylan is next to his father and his mother. Sheila, Allen and Victoria, who see the ambulance that Adam calls coming to the townhouse, are over there in a shot. Sheila going to her spiritual twin. SHEILA: What is going on? DYLAN (holding back tears): It's Dad. He's having chest pains! (Velda runs out, her eyes in shock.) WENDY: Velda, call everyone. VELDA (jumping to, sensing the situation): Right, madam, call everyone? WENDY: Yes, of course. (Velda begins her calling. Sooner or later, everyone is told to meet at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Beth Stillwater, the assistant chief of staff, and the Harpers physician, has the entire family gathered. Mrs. Buxley, the Atchley's housekeeper is working with Martina Velasquez, the Forson's housekeeper as to watching the children.) BARRY: Everyone is coming. ADRIENNE: Any word on Erica? VERONICA: None, and I hope she remains away. JASON: So right there, Veronica. AARON: Be thankful there, everyone. SHEILA: Where is a doctor? ANYSSA: Any word on Uncle Michael? ROSE: What has happened? (Enter Susannah and Ellen Lucas. They came at Velda's special request. Susie and Ellen go right to Anyssa. Sheila nods) SUSANNAH: Nyssa. ANYSSA: Susie! I am so glad you are here. You and Ellen. SUSANNAH (hugging her sister): Where else would I be right now? Mom and Dad send their love. (Anyssa is comforted by Susie. Enter Dr. Beth Stillwater.) BETH: We're not sure what has happened here, Mrs. Forson, but from what I have seen, there was some significant damage to his heart muscle. We have the best heart doctors in the commonwealth coming in to work on it; their experience is second to none. When I hear from them good or bad, I will let you know. VIVIENNE: Thank you, Doctor. Come on, Wendy. Let's sit down. WENDY: Thank you, Viv. I am really scared. VIVIENNE: I know, honey. I know. (Everyone goes to the waiting room and is seated. Adam and Dylan are in one another's arms. Susie is comforting Anyssa, who is quietly sobbing. Wendy is being tended to by Vivienne; Sheila is with Allen, but she is also deeply worried about Dylan. She and Allen go over and comfort him as well. Derek Steensland, Dylan and Adam's housemate is also there, along with Shawn and Audra. Michelle is being comforted by Samantha, Sydney, Veronica and Adrienne. Jason and Aaron are sullen. Sandra and Marta are talking quietly; the family has not heard from Erica, nor will they. Minutes pass, and it seems like hours, but eventually, Beth comes out, tears are in her blue eyes. She has some terrible news to impart.) SHEILA: Oh no! I don't like the look on Beth's face. DAVID: Me neither, Sheila. (Dr. Stillwater walks up to Wendy and Michael's offspring.) BETH: Wendy, Dylan, Rose, Hannah, Eric, Barry, I am so sorry. ROSE: What are you saying, Dr. Stillwater? BETH: He didn't make through the operation, the damage was just too extensive. Your father is dead. (Wendy is in tears, comforted by Vivienne; Dylan collapses into tears with Adam coming to his side, as well as Sheila and a devastated Roger who throws his arms around his cousin; Anyssa is brokenhearted and she is being comforted by Susie and Bryan; Ellen is in tears, she is being comforted by her aunt, Caitlyn Lambert. Rose is in Mark's arms, sobbing; Hannah is also in tears being comforted by Craig. Barry and Eric are getting support from their large family. David, recently added into the family, is stunned and in tears himself. He goes to Dylan, whom he bonded with earlier, and hugs him. Michelle is inconsolable, being comforted by Sydney, Veronica, Samantha and Adrienne.) Scene Five Several hours later, everyone is gathered at the Atchley Mansion. Everyone who is connected to the Harpers is meeting at the mansion to be with Wendy, Dylan, Rose, Hannah, Eric and Barry. The kids were made aware of what had happened by the staff. Derek was sobbing brokenheartedly with a quiet Sam and Courtney Sue comforting him. Both Sam and Courtney Sue are also sad, but they also know they have to be there and be strong for their more upset cousins. (Later on, it was revealed that the two cried and mourned their uncle in their quiet place) Cathy was also trying to calm Derek. A.J was sad too, but he took the news with calmness, and proceeded to help the others. Ashley was angry, but was more sad that she couldn't do anything about her grandpa Harper's death. Jolie, normally as bombastic as Ashley, is trying to calm her down; Maggie is trying to calm an inconsolable Ellie, who is clinging to her teddy bear and crying brokenheartedly. Meanwhile, downstairs, everyone is trying to make sense of what happened. CLARISSA: I am so sorry to hear about this, Wendy. Andrew, Allison and I are keeping you in our prayers. WENDY: Thank you, Clarissa. SUSANNAH: I talked with Mom and Dad. They are coming up tomorrow for the funeral. Velda called them. WENDY: That is good, thank you, Susie. VICTORIA: I talked with Robert, and he sends his condolences. MADELEINE: I checked with Camilla, and she said his will was airtight. DANIEL: I am not going to make mention of this in my internet report, because that is not the way I play. MICHELLE: Thank you, Mr. Jacobson, I appreciate that. DANIEL: Call me Daniel, Ms. Harper. VERONICA: What I don't understand was what happened. He was very healthy. How could he be felled with a heart attack? ADRIENNE: Nobody knows, darling. Had he gone into the doctor's for a checkup, Wendy? WENDY: I thought he had, Adrienne, but if he had, he never told me about it. VIVIENNE: That is strange, you would have thought he would have talked with you about that, Wendy. ERIC: Did you ask Dr. Stillwater, Mom? WENDY: I thought I had, but with all that happened, I wasn't able to ask. BARRY: Mom, I talked with her after she broke the news to us, and she had said that he had been told to make an appointment and he never did. DYLAN (astonished): That is strange, I always knew he was very up on those things. Even Aunt Vel would not remind him of medical appointments. But that is very strange that he wouldn't say anything to anyone about it. HANNAH: I am shocked by that too. Dad would always take his physicals, like clockwork. It was that way even when Mom was alive. WENDY: I wondered. When he didn't do his physical this year, I was not sure what to think. SUSANNAH: Do you know what you are going to do now, Wendy? WENDY: I am not sure, Susie. I certainly can't live in the townhouse by myself. DYLAN (decisively): You won't have to, Mom. WENDY: Why? DYLAN: We have a nice spacious room ready for you at our house. It's all yours, if you want it. (Wendy is touched by her stepson's gesture.) WENDY (embracing her stepson): Thank you, dearest. I will certainly take you up on that offer. DYLAN: Anytime you want to move there, we will arrange it. WENDY: We'll do it very soon. (The family quietly mourns Michael's loss. Marilyn puts her arm around a quietly sobbing Wendy; Dylan, in tears, is being comforted by Adam, Allen, Sheila and Roger; Hannah is being comforted by Craig; Eric and Barry are being comforted by Jennifer and Violet; Mark comforts his sobbing wife, Rose; Anyssa is being comforted by Susie and Ellen; June is talking quietly with Sandra and Marta; Aaron, Jason, Veronica and Samantha are busily comforting their sister, Michelle, with the aid of Sydney, Adrienne, and Victoria. The mourning is evident here.) Epilogue The WBOS-TV news room. Who better to finish this episode than Harper family friend, AJ Crawford, reporting the sad news of Michael Harper's death. AJ: And finally tonight, there is some very sad news here in Boston and most notably in the Louisburg Square area. Tonight, Michael Harper, the former headmaster of Harper Academy, and the Chairman of the Board of the family's corporation, Harper Industries, has died. He was pronounced dead at 7 PM at Mass General of a heart attack he had suffered at his Louisburg Square home. Michael was a well-loved and well-respected member of not just the Harper family, but also the whole of Greater Boston. He was the first born son, and half of the Harpers' first set of twins. Michael was one of the biggest movers and shakers here in Boston, and his community spirit was well known, especially in the Louisburg Square area of Beacon Hill. Michael is survived by his widow, Wendy Schraederman Harper, three sons, Dylan, Barry and Eric; and two daughters, Rose and Hannah. He is also survived by his sisters, Erica, Veronica, Samantha and his fraternal twin, Michelle; two brothers, Aaron and Jason; several nieces and nephews, as well as his four grandchildren, Maggie Atchley, Derek Harper, Ashley Harper and A.J. Wilson. Michael left a large footprint on the Boston area, and he also left a great hole in our hearts. Funeral arrangements have not been set as of this report. Godspeed, Michael Harper, you will be sorely missed. (And with that, the scene fades out slowly) Category:Episodes Category:Hall of Fame Episodes